Welcome to the Aberdeenshire
PLAY PEDAGOGY HUB
Article 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states that all children and young people have the right to engage in play. Aberdeenshire Council is committed to embedding play and playful pedagogy in everyday teaching and learning as a vehicle to meet the developmental needs of learners.
This Play Pedagogy Hub has been created through collaboration with practitioners from Aberdeenshire schools, the Educational Psychology Service and members of the Early Years and Inclusion, Equity and Wellbeing Teams. It provides resources and information to support schools on their journey to embed play-based learning.
Please click on the tabs at the top of this 'Home' page to navigate the different sections. There are also drop-down menus within some of these tabs.
Realising the Ambition, 2020
What is Play?
What is Play?
“Play encompasses children’s behaviour which is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. It is performed for no external goal or reward and is a fundamental and integral part of healthy development- not only for individual children but also for society in which they live”
What is a playful pedagogy?
“Playful Pedagogy is a way of integrating children’s play experiences with curricular learning, giving pupils the flexibility to find their own solutions to both new and existing problems. It engages children in personally meaningful activities, learning about themselves and others, and encourages autonomy and their independent motivation-to-learn. Through Playful Pedagogy, pupils engage in wide-ranging projects, learning about themselves, others, the place they live and their contribution to society now and in the future.”
The Lego Foundation noted that learning through play is effective when the following characteristics are featured within the play:
The experience is joyful
Children find meaning in their learning
The play is active, engaged and minds-on thinking
The play involved iterative thinking (experimentation, hypothesis testing, etc.)
The play involves social interaction
Play is a foundation of Health and Wellbeing, linking with all Wellbeing Indicators (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurture, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included) principles. Playful Pedagogy is especially linked with Active, Respected and Responsible as it tends to be more active than traditional approaches, gives children a chance to direct their own learning, and try different roles and responsibilities. It helps link education with all aspects of the GIRFEC ‘My World Triangle’.
Why Play?
Play has been described as the “work of a child” and through play, children can develop a vast array of skills- including cognitive, social, emotional and physical. Whitebread (2012) emphasised that two main areas are particularly supported through the medium of play; Language and Self-Regulation. Elkind (2007) stated that play is not a luxury rather it is essential for the physical, intellectual, and social-emotional development of children at all age levels.
Play is enshrined and embedded within Scottish Government policies. The National Strategy (Scottish Government, 2013) for play states that “play is essential to healthy develop from birth to adulthood, contributing to capacity for learning, resilience and the development of physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills.” The Curriculum for Excellence (2007) also highlights the significance of play throughout learning but particularly within the early level. Realising the Ambition, (Education Scotland, 2020 states that practitioners across Early Learning and Childcare settings and Schools need to work together to plan for progression across the play pedagogy and curriculum.
Brain Development
While genetics provide the initial 'map' for development, it is everyday experiences and interactions that shape a child's brain and will create the foundations for all learning and development later in life.
Play strengthens and increases neural connections in the brain and builds and strengthens the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
To support you on your Play Pedagogy journey, click on the "Getting Started" tab at the top of this page